1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to methods, assemblies, and systems for in-vehicle entertainment, information presentation, and/or processing. More specifically, according to aspects of certain embodiments, this disclosure relates to multimedia in-vehicle entertainment systems incorporating removable tablet-type computing devices.
2. General Background
Various multimedia in-vehicle entertainment systems are known, not only to skilled artisans in the field, but increasingly to the general public as well. Typically such systems (such as those for use in an airplane or automobile) include a display screen (often based on flat-screen technology), a sound system (e.g., based on wired or wireless headphone interfaces), and one or more entertainment or information content sources (e.g., a DVD player, flash memory device interface, hard disk drive, MP3 or other music player). It is also generally known that such systems may be mounted at various locations within a vehicle, such as in a seat back (or headrest), in a dash board, or in an overhead-mounted or floor-mounted console. Moreover, various configurations for the physical arrangement of each of the components in a given system are known. For example, a single unit mounted within a vehicle headrest may contain a display screen, a DVD player, and a headphone interface, among other elements, whereas a different system may employ a display screen that is mounted in an overhead console (and may use headphone-based audio systems, speaker-based audio systems, or no audio at all) and receive its entertainment or information content from a central server or DVD player located elsewhere within the vehicle or even remotely from the vehicle but coupled via appropriate network interfaces that are well known.
Various stand-alone entertainment or information presentation and/or consumption devices such as tablet computers are also well known. In general, such tablet computers may be considered as mobile computers, typically larger than mobile phone or personal digital assistants, and, depending on the specifics of each of the many available devices, typically include a touch screen or other user interface, as well as audio output capabilities, network connectivity of various types, data storage facilities (e.g., flash memory or various interfaces to other internal or external data storage devices), media playback facilities (e.g., MP3 and/or MPEG player), camera/microphone capabilities, navigational facilities (e.g., GPS), and/or various other features.
As described herein in detail, among other aspects of the present invention, it is desirable to address the limitations in the art with respect to the integration of tablet computers into vehicle entertainment systems. Other features and advantages of various aspects of the present invention may be seen upon review of the accompanying figures and of the detailed description that follows.